Forefathers
by brodie-wan
Summary: Father's Day flash fic! Rey reflects as her the birth of her child draws closer. I hope you'll take a look and leave a comment if so inclined. Enjoy!


**Forefathers**

Rey Solo felt the kick from within her enlarged belly like a dull thud. The, life inside her, a strong male, was making his presence known, more often, now, as her pregnancy entered its final frame. She loved her son as much as she had loved his father, and his father as well. Though meeting Han Solo mere days before is death, there was no doubt that a connection was made; a connection binding two souls seeking a new purpose. That purpose became saving the mad man Kylo Ren. Her special gifting in the Force gaver her a unique opprtunity to challenge the would be tyrant in altogether different way than his father could. Yes, Kylo Ren was Ben Solo, son of Han Solo and Leia Organa. He had been lost, in part, of his own accord, but more sinister, powerul, macinations had also been at work. The combination led Kylo Ren to murder his father in cold blood. She had witnessed it. Her friend went out on that catwalk a Nerf to the slaughter, though he did not see it that way. He wasn't perfect and he knew it. He had made mistakes and he was ready to confess one of his biggest to the son he had left behind. But Kylo Ren would have none of it, even if the shreds of Ben Solo yearned to hear his father's words.

Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered screaming from above after Ren had pierced his father with his jagged cimson blade.

Much happened thereafter. The destruction of Starkiller Base, locating Luke Skylwaler, the near eradication of the Resistance to the First Order, and the death of Supreme Leader Snoke. Rey had witnessed many of these first hand, training with Skywalker on Ach-To, turning herself over to Ren, and fighting the Praetorian Guard in the wake of Ren's killing of Snoke. To Rey's thinking, the mastermind behind the First Order had gone down with relative ease. She thought this would be her chance to convince Ben reassert himself. She had been mistaken and it had taken the final act of Master Skywalker's life to save the Resistance and put another crumb on the path of Ben's return to the light.

Rey ran a hand over her belly talking softly and sweetly to her unborn child.

"Daddy, came back to the light, didn't he?" she cooed. "It wasn't easy, but he did it."

Unbeknownst to all, but a very select few, Snoke had enable a Force connection between Rey and Ren, giving them the ability to acutally see and talk to each other even though separated by light years. They had wrestled each other for a time, verbally, of course. She wanted Ben to come back to the light and he wanted her to rule The First Order with him from the darkness. The stalemate lasted until Leia Organa was assassinated in an unsanctioned mission by FO operatives. Ben had told Rey, shortly thereafter, that he had had the same opportunity and was unable to follow through. Rey had told him how thankful she was that he had not and that he should feel the same. His anger had flared and he spat:

"Dead is dead! They are all dead now! There is no one left to disappoint...or to honor."

"You are left, aren't you," she had replied, tentatively. "And me. We have choices to make whether to honor them or to destroy even their graves. I don't want to see you in the latter."

"You know what I've done; to Luke, his students, so many beings on so many worlds. There is no coming back from that! No forgiveness of war crimes, much less the personal murder of my father, Lor San Teka...and others."

She had told him that forgiveness first had to come from within. Ben Solo had toforgive himself for what Kylo Ren had done. She could not imagine what the weight of so many lives felt like. But she knew that Darth Vader had been faced with the same choice. She knew that he had made the right one. She reminded Ben of that.

The fall of the First Order was gradual as Ben Solo systematically gave it over to the Resistance in the form of strategic intelligence and additional Force training to Rey and her followers. Then, one day, Kylo Ren disappeared from the face of the First Order and the galaxy being the final straw to break the back of Imperial expansion.

Ben Solo and Rey and her followers founded a new Academy. Solo was the silent partner and remained out of sight, even though he never left Rey's side. They fell in love and were married, in secret. A year later he came to her and explained what his redemption meant he had to do. She wanted more time, but he would not give it. The blood demanded justice. His father deserved to know that his words were not wasted breath. The Force demanded he act honorably. How could he refuse it? They lay together, as husband and wife, for the final time, that night and conceived a child, the one she now carried. Ben Solo turned himself over to the Galactic Alliance and took full responsibility for his actions as Kylo Ren. He answered every question asked and never once told a lie. Despite much debate in the new Senate and pleas from Rey and the Jedi, Ben Solo was executed for his crimes. He went to his dath boldly,yet humbly, a contrite spirit leading him. It was not what he wanted. He loved his wife and child, and the new band of Jedi they had trained. However, the galaxy needed to heal. And so did Ben.

"We will not forget Daddy, today, will we, Anakin?" she said, through trembling lips. "Not today. Not ever."


End file.
